Transformers: Willpower and choice
by Saphirian Waterclaw
Summary: Blades had been raised all his existence as a Decepticon. Never once had he questioned Megatron. Never. Anyone who challenged Megatron was evil. Even if it was a team member second guessing Megatron's will. Blades' loyalty was that of a model Decepticon. But he wasn't a Decepticon. He wasn't an Autobot either. He was a drone. Rated T for character death and language
1. Prologue

Megatron gazed out over his domain of Cybertron from the balcony of one of his towers. Many years had passed since the civil war began for Cybertron. Many, many years. And through them all, the Decepticons had made absolutely no headway. Some were beginning to doubt Megatron's ability to win the war. Others wondered if Megatron was growing soft. But in Megatron's mind, it was the incompetence of his subordinates that had cost them so many turning point victories that would have swayed the course of the war from stalemate to Decepticon dominance. It was far from his fault for his soldiers not following orders and allowing pride to send them falling. The confusion was answered by a blame game of sorts. What Megatron needed was a miracle. Only, those never really happened when you devoted yourself to the survival of the strongest. You gave up on miracles to secure your strength.

Suddenly the elevator door behind Megatron opened and a Decepticon soldier who Megatron was unfamiliar with walked in.  
"Sir, you're presence is needed in the Production facilities."the soldier said. Megatron frowned. Whatever news came from production that made it to his attention was usually bad news. Unfortunately, more often than not, there was a raid taking place. Something as trivial as Supply shortages just never made it to his attention.  
"What happened this time?"Megatron demanded cutting to the point.  
"Not at liberty to say sir. Seemed urgent that you be present."The soldier replied trying his hardest not to show his fear right now in the presence of the Decepticon leader.  
"Wouldn't a damage report suffice?" Megatron asked cuttingly. The soldier cringed slightly at the tone of voice.  
"But sir, Nothing was destroyed." The soldier blurted pathetically.  
"Then WHAT is IT?" Megatron demanded.  
"They didn't tell me that much sir! said they wanted to surprise you!"The soldier said almost pleadingly.  
"Damn fools." Megatron grummbled walking to the elevator. The soldier tried to stumble out of the way but Megatron picked him with one hand by the shoulder and flung the Decepticon into a wall venting some of his anger.  
"This had better be good."Megatron said as the elevator rocketed him down to the Production facility.

Megatron made his way through the maze of weapons and missile parts scattered throughout the room. It was chaotic mess of failed experiments and broken parts. And yet the Decepticon that lurked within was far from disorganized. Particularly since it wasn't even their laboratory. The previous Decepticon that had presided here had terminated a few weeks back and the one here currently was trying to pick up the pieces.  
"Ah, Megatron. I am very pleased you stopped by."The decepticon scientist said at Megatron's approach.  
"You better have a worth while explanation for bringing me down here Shockwave."Megatron grumbled observing the mess.  
"It wasn't the disaster down here I called you for. Follow me please."Shockwave beckoned from an oval doorway at the other end of the musty room. Megatron complied and walked over to the door way where Shockwave was standing. The scientist entered an ornate code of symbols on the lock pad and the pressure lock released with a hiss.  
"What could be so important behind this door?"Megatron asked skeptically.  
"Oh it's big alright. However this isn't the main door. The main door is actually more of a massive wall."Shockwave said leading megatron through the door into a tunnel leading out to a walk way. When they emerged from the tunnel, Megatron's mood changed from exhausted to complete surprise. The Walkway they had emerged onto stretched across a massive sphereical room at least 4 miles in diameter. The walls were covered in strange light blue glowing ovular cocoons. Each cocoon had exactly six neighbors on all sides.  
"This Megatron, will be the new frontline for the Decepticons. Meet, the army of the loyal. The first ever Decepticon mass produce-able army. We have at least fifteen other domes like this one dotted throughout Decepticon controlled cybertron. We will no longer have to depend on a decepticon soldiers. These spark-less machines-"  
"Did you say spark-less?"Megatron interupted still gazing around at the sea of glowing blue cocoons.  
"Yes sir. They have no willpower whatsoever. Unlike decepticon soldiers whose loyalty may waver, these drones are far from the sort. Though they have the power to choose, they don't have free choice." Shockwave said admiring his own craftsmanship.  
"What do you mean when you say they don't have free choice but can choose?"Megatron asked slightly confused.  
"Allow me to elaborate. Beings with free choice can choose where to go. They can choose where they wish to go. These drones however are hard wired to proceed from point A to point B. They can choose how to get to point B, but outside of that they are slaves to their own minds and prevention of capability to compute otherwise."  
"So they are loyal regardless of circumstance. Shockwave, with this army we can finally gain the upper hand. With this weapon, we will smite the primes with one swift stroke."Megatron said in sheer sinister pleasure.  
"Megatron, I have one more thing to show you before you go that I think you may want to see." Shockmave said from the middle of the platform by an elevator column. Megatron came over and entered the elevator with Shockwave. Shockwave hit a button that rapidly brought them to ground level. They stepped out and Shockwave led him to a drone cocoon.  
"This drone in particular was what I wanted you to see. His name is Shadow Striker." Shockwave said proudly. The drone in the cocoon looked exactly like a Decepticon. The drone itself was clad head to toe in armor and had six katanas. Two were sheathed at his hips, two crossed on hi back and two more on either upper arm. His armor was dark grey, almost black and his helmet was simple. But what was most impresive were the forearms. Each forearm was covered by a massive gauntlet of tiny parts.  
"Shockwave, what are on his arms?"Megatron asked.  
"The best development we have ever accomplished. Allow me to demonstrate,"Shockwave said entering a command on the cocoon. The Drone inside came to life and raised one arm out. Suddenly in a blur of metal, the hand folded back into a plazma cannon. That wasn't too impresive since any bot could do that. Then in another blur of metal components it formed back into an arm however on the wrist there was a wrist mounted rocket launcher with two rockets rotruding slightly from the launch tubes. Right after that they blurred into a pair of chain machineguns mounted where the hands should have been.  
"I thought you might be impressed. He's capable of flight as well. When he transforms the katanas fold up onto his back as propeller blades. We designed him to mirror a helicopter in all regards."  
"He is amazing."  
"We can't wait to see how well he'll do in combat."  
"Neither can I." Megatron smiled. Miracles do come true for the powerful after all.


	2. Data on Shadow Striker

Data info on subject

**Shadow Striker**

**Affiliation:**  
Decepticon

**Class:**  
air strike unit

**Type:**  
Drone

Armor color:  
Charcoal black

**Weapons:**  
6 Electro-katanas  
2 Plazma cannons  
2rotating barrel chain machineguns  
2wrist mounted V-34 rockets

**Alternate form:**  
Apache Helicopter

**Misc:**  
emotionless  
silent  
compliant with orders  
Tendency to resort to violence  
independent  
Can operate better alone than with team  
Compliant with team members

Log initiation comencing  
Please wait...


	3. Chapter 1 Stranger to mercy

Megatron gazed out over his domain of Cybertron from the balcony of one of his towers. Many years had passed since the civil war began for Cybertron. Many, many years. And through them all, the Decepticons had made absolutely no headway. Some were beginning to doubt Megatron's ability to win the war. Others wondered if Megatron was growing soft. But in Megatron's mind, it was the incompetence of his subordinates that had cost them so many turning point victories that would have swayed the course of the war from stalemate to Decepticon dominance. It was far from his fault for his soldiers not following orders and allowing pride to send them falling. The confusion was answered by a blame game of sorts. What Megatron needed was a miracle. Only, those never really happened when you devoted yourself to the survival of the strongest. You gave up on miracles to secure your strength.

Suddenly the elevator door behind Megatron opened and a Decepticon soldier who Megatron was unfamiliar with walked in.  
"Sir, you're presence is needed in the Production facilities."the soldier said. Megatron frowned. Whatever news came from production that made it to his attention was usually bad news. Unfortunately, more often than not, there was a raid taking place. Something as trivial as Supply shortages just never made it to his attention.  
"What happened this time?"Megatron demanded cutting to the point.  
"Not at liberty to say sir. Seemed urgent that you be present."The soldier replied trying his hardest not to show his fear right now in the presence of the Decepticon leader.  
"Wouldn't a damage report suffice?" Megatron asked cuttingly. The soldier cringed slightly at the tone of voice.  
"But sir, Nothing was destroyed." The soldier blurted pathetically.  
"Then WHAT is IT?" Megatron demanded.  
"They didn't tell me that much sir! said they wanted to surprise you!"The soldier said almost pleadingly.  
"Damn fools." Megatron grummbled walking to the elevator. The soldier tried to stumble out of the way but Megatron picked him with one hand by the shoulder and flung the Decepticon into a wall venting some of his anger.  
"This had better be good."Megatron said as the elevator rocketed him down to the Production facility.

Megatron made his way through the maze of weapons and missile parts scattered throughout the room. It was chaotic mess of failed experiments and broken parts. And yet the Decepticon that lurked within was far from disorganized. Particularly since it wasn't even their laboratory. The previous Decepticon that had presided here had terminated a few weeks back and the one here currently was trying to pick up the pieces.  
"Ah, Megatron. I am very pleased you stopped by."The decepticon scientist said at Megatron's approach.  
"You better have a worth while explanation for bringing me down here Shockwave."Megatron grumbled observing the mess.  
"It wasn't the disaster down here I called you for. Follow me please."Shockwave beckoned from an oval doorway at the other end of the musty room. Megatron complied and walked over to the door way where Shockwave was standing. The scientist entered an ornate code of symbols on the lock pad and the pressure lock released with a hiss.  
"What could be so important behind this door?"Megatron asked skeptically.  
"Oh it's big alright. However this isn't the main door. The main door is actually more of a massive wall."Shockwave said leading megatron through the door into a tunnel leading out to a walk way. When they emerged from the tunnel, Megatron's mood changed from exhausted to complete surprise. The Walkway they had emerged onto stretched across a massive sphereical room at least 4 miles in diameter. The walls were covered in strange light blue glowing ovular cocoons. Each cocoon had exactly six neighbors on all sides.  
"This Megatron, will be the new frontline for the Decepticons. Meet, the army of the loyal. The first ever Decepticon mass produce-able army. We have at least fifteen other domes like this one dotted throughout Decepticon controlled cybertron. We will no longer have to depend on a decepticon soldiers. These spark-less machines-"  
"Did you say spark-less?"Megatron interupted still gazing around at the sea of glowing blue cocoons.  
"Yes sir. They have no willpower whatsoever. Unlike decepticon soldiers whose loyalty may waver, these drones are far from the sort. Though they have the power to choose, they don't have free choice." Shockwave said admiring his own craftsmanship.  
"What do you mean when you say they don't have free choice but can choose?"Megatron asked slightly confused.  
"Allow me to elaborate. Beings with free choice can choose where to go. They can choose where they wish to go. These drones however are hard wired to proceed from point A to point B. They can choose how to get to point B, but outside of that they are slaves to their own minds and prevention of capability to compute otherwise."  
"So they are loyal regardless of circumstance. Shockwave, with this army we can finally gain the upper hand. With this weapon, we will smite the primes with one swift stroke."Megatron said in sheer sinister pleasure.  
"Megatron, I have one more thing to show you before you go that I think you may want to see." Shockmave said from the middle of the platform by an elevator column. Megatron came over and entered the elevator with Shockwave. Shockwave hit a button that rapidly brought them to ground level. They stepped out and Shockwave led him to a drone cocoon.  
"This drone in particular was what I wanted you to see. His name is Shadow Striker." Shockwave said proudly. The drone in the cocoon looked exactly like a Decepticon. The drone itself was clad head to toe in armor and had six katanas. Two were sheathed at his hips, two crossed on hi back and two more on either upper arm. His armor was dark grey, almost black and his helmet was simple. But what was most impresive were the forearms. Each forearm was covered by a massive gauntlet of tiny parts.  
"Shockwave, what are on his arms?"Megatron asked.  
"The best development we have ever accomplished. Allow me to demonstrate,"Shockwave said entering a command on the cocoon. The Drone inside came to life and raised one arm out. Suddenly in a blur of metal, the hand folded back into a plazma cannon. That wasn't too impresive since any bot could do that. Then in another blur of metal components it formed back into an arm however on the wrist there was a wrist mounted rocket launcher with two rockets rotruding slightly from the launch tubes. Right after that they blurred into a pair of chain machineguns mounted where the hands should have been.  
"I thought you might be impressed. He's capable of flight as well. When he transforms the katanas fold up onto his back as propeller blades. We designed him to mirror a helicopter in all regards."  
"He is amazing."  
"We can't wait to see how well he'll do in combat."  
"Neither can I." Megatron smiled. Miracles do come true for the powerful after all.


End file.
